DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The contacts are inserted in the housing cavities where they are retained by lances which are an integral part of the housing. In this case, the locking device usually engages the contacts which are inserted from a side surface of the housing in order to increase the retaining strength. For example, a so-called double-lock connector is described in disclosures of Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1989-60474 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,722. Although the contacts are inserted in the cavities, they are not retained tightly because there are gaps between the contacts and the cavity walls. The same is true for locking connectors. This wobble of the contacts can result in deformation of contacts during connection with a matching connector resulting in reduced reliability of electrical connections. Contacts of male connectors are more susceptible to this kind of deficiencies than female connectors.
Methods of solving this problem include, for example, insertion into the joining cavity of the connector of a piece determining the positioning of the ends of the male contacts where it is retained by friction, like in the disclosure of Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1989-64872. However, this solution involves an extra part. Another solution involves protrusions made inside the housing cavities which are supposed to support the front ends of the contacts, but this can complicate assembly operations, because the contact ends often became stuck in the gap between the wall and the cavity.